Snow Princess
by TechNomaNcer28
Summary: She wanted to leave,there was no other way.Tear hadn't known Natalia's feelings.AU fic featuring supernaturalism.Time line after the game.Pairing LukeTear,GuyNat.


**Haloooooo everyone!!!I'm back ^_^. About time fanfic let . This is a new one shot of mine i actually wrote for my school magazine,only i didn't make it as interseting as this original one for the school thing but u guys enjoy.^_^It's written in a little fairytale-ish sort of languagecuz i intended for it to be taht way.I hope i did it and tell me if somthing's up.**

**The Snow Princess**

In the world of Auldrant, there exists a kingdom known as Kimlasca Lanvaldear which is to be ruled by Natalia Luzu Kimlasca Lanvaldear who became motherless at birth and orphaned when a few weeks back her father King Ingobert VI passed away much to the dismay of his country people who loved him truly. Just like her father she loved her country sincerely and would always try her best to make good use of the growing economy to serve her country people.

But even as she put on a brave mask, Tear Grants who was living with Natalia's cousin Luke Fon Fabre in his manor knew something was wrong but wouldn't pry in the Princess's business. Even though she had been quite a soldier and would remain one, being engaged to Luke had been more than she had ever asked for and honestly, it was one of the greatest things that had happened to her. She found herself looking forward to her marriage even though it was a little strange. But as a best friend to Natalia, she always felt as if the Princess wasn't really happy. Something always seemed to be troubling the poor Princess especially after her father's death and the loss of her fiancé Asch Fon Fabre who had departed on a journey to save the world with the rest of them and never returned.

Tear sat idly and wondered what had made her so lethargic recently while watching a miniature ballerina revolving around prettily on the table. It was a memento from her late mother which had become all the more precious to her after her brother's death almost three years ago. The ballerina swayed, the fire crackled behind, the snow fell so the world outside was lively because Christmas was approaching and Tear's head swam with all the day's thoughts and fatigue.

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Tear made her way outside to where the children were playing and watched as she too wanted to join in the snow-ball fights when suddenly she felt the white snow hit her head from behind. Turning back she saw a thirteen year old, Anise Tatlin who was famous for having Lady Luck at her side and her love for money which was understandable for her parents worked in the church without pay.

"Hey!" Anise waved to Tear who smiled and approached in her direction, "It's been so long." Anise exclaimed and hugged Tear who returned it a little hesitantly. She still couldn't get used to affectionate things like that so easily.

"Are we making a snowman?" Tear asked the young girl looking at the pile of snow collected.

"No silly." Anise answered, "Why would we want to make something as plain and ugly as a snowman?"

"Oh." Was all Tear said even though she wanted to protest because she found snowmen cute. But again this was Anise. You just had to know her love for luxurious things after journeying with her "So what are we making then?" she asked politely.

"A snow princess." Anise replied and got to work. Tear shook her head and joined Anise and realized she hadn't had this much fun in a while.

"Done." Anise let out in a sing-song voice after half an hour, "Isn't she pretty?" Tear nodded with a frown.

"Yes." She replied "But she looks like Natalia." Anise looked surprised and then laughed at the comparison of the awkward figure to the princess.

"I wish she could be real." Anise commented airily when the Wish Witch, who also goes by the name of Nebilim, flew by invisibly. She decided to grant the girl's wish but she was a wicked woman and would definitely want a price for this later. She landed in a narrow street in front of a house where a teenager was having a fight with her mother. A second later she banged open the door and fled from the house in tears. Perfect. Nebilim followed the girl till the pink haired teen realized she was being followed. The moment she turned back, the Witch took hold of her hair and slit her throat with a blade that emerged from her palm after Dist, a scientist had inserted it into her for experiment. Nebilim longed for power more and more which only Dist could help her to get. However, once she could get her hands on the Dimensional Warlock's powers she too would be able to control time and space and conquer everything. Everything.

Arietta's scream didn't quite reach far as blood continued to pool out of her throat and Nebilim enjoyed the sight. She slashed again and again laughing while the young girl screamed feeling more powerful when the teen died. Nebilim poured out the teen's blood into a cauldron and chanted away few lines while adding parts of the dead body to the blood in the cauldron. Cutting up the teen's body was way better than anything she had done recently. The savage pleasure that surged through her at the fact that she was the one destroying, the one who had the power was enthralling. She laughed and added bits of Bat wings and other such ingredients then filled a vial with a portion of her brew. Then she flew to where Anise and Tear were and once again invisibly she dropped the liquid onto the Snow Princess's form.

Anise suddenly heard some noise coming from the Snow Princess and looked in amazement as the snow figure began gaining some color and slowly to the two girls' surprise the Snow Princess became the image of Princess Natalia.

The Princess looked around sadly at first and then noticed Tear and Anise. "Are you here to imprison me?" she asked and Tear shook her head although she was still in shock.

"Then you're not here to bind me to my fate? Please Tear, let me be free." the golden haired Princess pleaded and Tear replied.

"Natalia?" Anise asked as if confused by all her words. Natalia never acted like this before but again, this was the Snow Princess. None of it made sense to Tear but Anise seemed to be getting fine with it.

"I don't know what you mean but we're not here to harm you." She assured her and the Princess smiled.

"Thank you Tear." She looked at Anise who introduced herself and was stunned when she realized she was talking to the Princess of Kimlasca. She was about to add more questions about how she came to be outside the castle when suddenly a blonde knight from the castle showed up in a horse. Guy, Tear acknowledged.

"Princess Natalia." He called in a soothing voice, "Please come with me. I will take you somewhere much better than here; somewhere you can be content with life." Tear frowned and looked at Guy.

"What could you possibly mean Guy?" the brunette asked, "Why would you want to do something like this with Natalia?" Guy smiled.

"I'm the Princess's knight." He replied, "I'm supposed to protect her with my life." Tear stared and wondered when the world had changed so much. But Natalia stood and without acknowledging Tear anymore mounted the horse with Guy's help and departed leaving a cloud of dusty snow behind.

"Natalia wait!" Tear called out and then realized it would be too late if she wanted to ask somebody for help.

"We have to follow them on foot." Anise told her and they began running after the galloping horse as if their lives depended on it. They found the Princess standing with Guy and chatting pleasantly near a river they had stopped to rest.

"Don't stop me." Natalia's cry rang out as she turned to face Tear.

"But Natalia…why?" Tear asked confusedly. Natalia had tears in her eyes.

"I don't want to live there anymore." She started, "Day after day it's the same thing. I don't even have a say in any decision anymore. It's others who will be deciding who I marry so he may rule this land, others who will be deciding my life for me. It's a fate I can only try running from." She stopped to take a breath and then continued.

"I just can't take it anymore." The blonde finally gave in to her tears, "Asch never came back even though he promised and father's gone too."

"Natalia." Tear looked at the princess who now was engulfed in Guy's arms. Then Anise spoke up.

"You guys are in love aren't you?" she asked. Of course Tear hadn't gotten it. She was clueless about things at times like this.

"There's no point in living there anymore." Natalia resumed, "Every decision is carried out by the board members and why? Because I'm only the princess. If Asch were here…" her voice trailed off.

"That's why I came." Gailardia replied, "I am a knight sworn to protect and serve you, your highness. So please believe in me." Natalia nodded with a watery smile.

"I told you not to call me that." She chided him and he laughed lightly, "But Tear." She turned seriously to the brunette.

"You don't want to lose Luke, do you?" Tear blinked at Natalia's question.

"I don't know what you mean." She said and Guy sighed. He didn't want to have to explain this of all the things.

"Asch isn't here anymore." He began, "So the only immediate Royalty left now is Luke. If that's the case then Natalia will have to marry Luke against her and your wishes." Tear numbed inside at this. She hadn't really thought of it that way but if Guy was right then…

"You can't be thinking of letting Luke go, are you?" Anise asked looking up at Tear who only turned away from the teen and talked to Natalia in a slightly cold voice to hide her own sorrow.

"Your country deserves you Natalia." She told her, "You cannot abandon it for the sake of Luke or me. The future of Kimlasca is more important now."

"But Tear-" Natalia began but Tear turned to her without any expression on her face.

"You care about Kimlasca, don't you?" she asked, "in that case it would be best that I would not interrupt." She was about to go away when Guy touched her shoulder and she turned.

"Natalia doesn't want this either." He told her, "Luke's always been more like a brother to her since we all started travelling together." Natalia looked up hopefully.

"So Tear, please." She held her hand, "Don't let Luke go. I let Asch go. It was the biggest mistake I ever made. Even if it was to save the world doesn't mean it doesn't hurt." She looked at Tear, "Don't ever think of letting Luke go away like this. Hold on to him. Cherish every moment you have with him." She turned to Guy and smiled. "I've finally moved on. So please Tear and Anise." She looked at the teen who had been quiet the whole time. "Let me go away with him. It'll make me happy."

"And that in turn will make us happy." Anise told her with a hug, "We'll be right behind you Natalia."

"I cannot stop you from doing something by your own choice." Tear said sadly, "If you ever happen to be back, I will be here to support you always." The heartfelt words were enough to bring tears to the Princess's eyes again.

"Thank you Tear. I'm sorry for acting so cowardly but I have no choice." She said and then turned to mount the horse when suddenly a portal appeared in front of them. A voice issued from the depths of the purple swirls and a man with flowing hair, flowing robes and glasses perched on his nose emerged holding a staff.

"Jade?!" Tear exclaimed suddenly and forgot her politeness then cleared her throat, "I mean, colonel. What are you doing here?" Jade looked at her quizzically.

"Colonel?" he asked, "I don't know what you mean." He turned to Natalia seriously this time.

"What you seek is on the other side." He said to Natalia, "But in order to reach your freedom, you will suffer." Natalia nodded. Everything had its price in this world. "You may as well die in the process." Gailardia stepped up defiantly.

"And you're the Dimensional Warlock? Jade Curtiss?" he asked the strange man who laughed.

"Of course I'm the dimensional warlock. Or Jade the Necromancer as they say." He replied with a smile that was enough to raise your hair.

"Necromancer huh?" Guy muttered. Tear looked at them for a clue. Why did everyone act like they didn't know each other? Jade nodded and then pointed to the portal.

"If you enter through here, there's a possibility you will die Princess. It will hurt like that of a burning fire. You may turn back while you still can." Natalia shook her head.

"I am a Princess." She said holding her head high, "I will not back down now. I will endure what I must." So she walked straight into the burning depths of the portal when Anise shrieked from behind.

"No! No! Stop her. She's the Snow Princess." Tear tried calming her down but she was hysteric.

"Anise, she wanted this." Tear answered to Anise who shook her head.

"The fire will melt her." Anise cried and Tear realized how logical Anise was then. She ran forward to stop the Princess but she had already set foot inside and was now in agony but she smiled at Tear.

"I will be fine." She answered, "As long as I am freed of this burden, I will go through anything. I have to be strong." Tear didn't know how top stop her anymore so she remained there watching the Princess dying away as the flames engulfed her. Natalia cried silently even though she tried her hardest not to. She was a strong woman, then why did it hurt so much? When the portal closed the Wish Witch landed in front of them.

"Anise Tatlin." She was a beautiful woman for one who heart was so wrought with evil, "I have granted your wish but in exchange for the life of one who used to be someone close to you." Anise looked horrified and demanded to know what she meant.

"I have taken the life of your sister Arietta so your wish could be fulfilled." And the Witch turned to Jade.

"I will see you later. Wait for me." She laughed and flew away. Jade watched till the witch disappeared and returned to the portal.

"I will be going now." He told them, "I tried fulfilling your Princess's wish but everything doesn't always work out the way we want it... Farewell." And he was gone. Anise then knew what they meant when they said "be careful what you wish for". But she hadn't thought of it that way. Damn it! Damn it all!

Then the weather changed and snow stopped falling as spring arrived and the birds sang. Then summer began and Tear shielded her eyes from the blinding sun. Fall came and the world was golden but Anise still cried. Tear wanted to comfort her but her head was dizzy and she wanted to escape this all….

"Tear! Tear!" someone jerked Tear awake and she straightened up immediately to see Luke who was staring at her. The snow was still falling, the children were playing, the ballerina still dancing; time hadn't moved at all. Luke smiled, "You were talking in your sleep."

"I was sleeping?" she asked, "So it was all a dream." She realized and then suddenly hugged Luke.

"Hey!" Luke was a little confused but smiled all the same, "What was that for?" he asked when she let go. She took his face in her hands.

"Nothing." She said, "I just realized how much I love you." Luke looked stunned at that and Tear blushed. She had said it finally. After years and months of waiting she had finally been able to say it without hesitation and Luke looked down at their entwined hands.

"Tear." He looked up at her and then taking courage from her smile he kissed her. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and they parted with jump and flushed faces while Guy came in. He looked at them.

"Did I interrupt something?" he asked taking in their expressions when Tear remembered something from the dream and went closer to him.

"It's been a long time." She said with a smile and was about to shake his hand when Guy jumped back a mile. Tear blinked as Guy looked horrified at their close proximity.

"D-don't touch me. You know my condition." He said weakly and looked at Luke, "Let's talk outside okay?" The red head nodded with a straight face and then burst laughing when Guy went out. Tear shook her head. It had all been a dream. Guy was still as gynophobic as ever. Tear turned to have a look at Luke and smiled.

"Thank you." She said realizing how glad she was to have someone to rely on, how happy she was not to be alone. And at that moment she knew what Princess Natalia had felt all along, how lonely she really was. It had all been in the dream.

**The end**


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